5 ways to improve your Company Culture

Research recently conducted by a multidisciplinary team from Auckland, Massey and Waikato universities, and Birbeck University in London found nearly one in five employees are being subjected to overbearing or belittling behaviour at work.

The survey of 1728 workers in the health, education, travel and hospitality sectors found 18% had been bullied, while 75% had suffered workplace stress. Read full article here

"Bullying is happening and it is not being addressed. It has long been accepted that this is the way of working -- if you cannot stand the heat, get out of the kitchen," says study leader Tim Bentley, associate head of Massey University's school of management.

Levels of workplace stress and bullying were greater than expected and one of the main causes was ineffective leadership.

A study and the end of last year by Hays International also highlighted that two thirds of employees believe their managers do not know what motivates them to perform and one third of staff are planning to leave when the economy recovers. Addressing these issues requires a significant change in the way people see, think and act about their company culture.

Every Culture in a company has a smell - how is yours?

Here are the 5 things that have the biggest impact in improving company culture.

1. Define and articulate the real core values of your businesses not some fluffy statements that are empty words on a plaque. This drives positive behaviour and facilitates the removal of people who do not fit well with your culture

2. Use behavioural profiling tools to improve interpersonal communication and working relationships. This will also identify your people’s strengths and help you understand how to leverage your people’s strengths to increase productivity and personal fulfilment.

3. Identify and overcome any dysfunctional behaviours demonstrated by your management team

4. Survey employee engagement to identify the areas that require attention – a proven way to increase sales, productivity, and customer satisfaction - whilst reducing accidents, absenteeism, and staff turnover.

5. Conduct well-structured meetings every week with your team members. Here you can recognise and reward positive behaviour and address any issues before they become a problem.

Implementing these disciplines can provide a challenge but not as much of a challenge as doing nothing.